‘Be careful what you wish for’ my mum always warned. She was a textbook pessimist, always on hand to point out the potentially bad outcome. My brother very quickly morphed into her mini me. I took to calling him ‘Worst Case Scenario Boy’ and enjoyed pushing his limits a little too far. That day he… Continue reading Friday Flash: If Only
I like to pretend I am the conductor of an orchestra, like the ones Pa took me to see when I was small. We'd sneak in at the interval and hide within the shadows, until it was safe to choose our seats. Now on the cold days, my hands become my baton, like I’m Nadia Boulanger conducting… Continue reading Urban Symphony (Friday Fictioneers)
I remember the time you stepped on a shell and your big toe burst open all bloody. 'That's your fault' you spat at me, as Mum bent to nurse your wound. 'I'm sorry' I said, confused. You said it again with a mouthful of teeth, your bike strewn on the pavement behind you. 'I'm sorry'… Continue reading Chalk It Down (Friday Fictioneers)
PHOTO PROMPT © Roger Bultot Eva stopped for a moment, leaning back against the cool stone of a vast pillar. Droplets of sweat tickled at her temples as they began their descent down her cheeks. She sucked air into her aching chest, her thoughts racing like the beating of her heart. Mere seconds and she… Continue reading Quite the Exhibition
My heart seemed to stop, up high in my rib-cage where it had leapt and then frozen. I grasped desperately at the air, as the intricate glass bowl plummeted beyond my reach toward the harsh tiles of the kitchen floor. The sound rang out like a million tiny bells tolling, calling out into the silent… Continue reading Hush Now (Friday Fictioneers)
I peeked out from under an elbow, my hands still gripping the sides of my head as I uncurled myself from the floor. ‘Oops!’ She spoke from behind her fingers as she surveyed the damage, her eyes drawn upwards to the squeak of a ceiling fan swinging to and fro. ‘Yeah, you could say that’… Continue reading Working the Scales (Friday Fictioneers)
Gorm opened his eyes and sighed. Short naps were the finest, Gramps hadn’t been wrong. The rocky mountains of his people stretched endlessly before him, topped by the purple hues of the early evening sky. He stretched out his long legs sending boulders skittering below. Oops. There were voices close by, ‘I think we should… Continue reading The Mountain Man
A short, sharp intake of breath. Then her small features all go to work. Eyes focus, brow furrows, and lips form a perfectly puckered pout through which her lungs can release their contents. Two fine full lungs let blow. Ten tiny fingers tightly clutch the stem as the seeds take flight. A swirl of life… Continue reading The Dandy Lion (Friday Fictioneers)
Opening my charcoal eyes, I look at the familiar scene. Nothing new this time then. With night drawing in, the house emanates its cosy interior. Warm yellow light peeks out from pulled curtains, and swirls of steam pump from a boiler pipe. It’s pot luck where you’re going to pop up, and very rare to… Continue reading Groundhog Nights (Friday Fictioneers)
Annie grabbed another handful of cake, still chewing the last. Her eyes were lost in a veil of smudged mascara, and endless replays of that morning. Her stunning meringue dress was now up passed her ears as she sat crossed legged on her best friend's floor. Jen sat opposite her, working her way through the… Continue reading Just Desserts
Mighty Wren 